The French National Assembly has given its overwhelming approval to a bill that aims to protect a woman’s right to have an abortion in the French Constitution. This is the first crucial stage in the legislative process, which also necessitates a vote in the Senate.

President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to implement the measure in response to the recent restrictions on abortion rights in the United States.

On Tuesday evening, the lower house of parliament voted on the bill, with 493 votes in favor and 30 votes against.

“According to Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, the National Assembly and government did not fail to acknowledge the significance of this moment in women’s history.”

The French government, led by Macron, is pushing for an amendment to Article 34 of the constitution that would specify that the law regulates the circumstances under which women are able to access abortion services, which would be protected by law.

A change to the constitution must be approved by both houses of parliament and can be ratified through a referendum or by a three-fifths vote in a joint session of parliament. The government under Macron is seeking the latter approach, but the level of support for the measure in the Senate is not as certain as it is in the National Assembly.

All of the major political parties in France’s parliament support the right to abortion and do not question its legality.

However, certain members of the Republican majority in the Senate have expressed disapproval of the language used in the proposition, creating more uncertainty for its approval. If the identical form of the legislation is ultimately approved by both chambers, Macron would convene a special session with all lawmakers in hopes of securing a three-fifths vote.

French law changed in 1975 to decriminalize abortion, however, the constitution does not explicitly protect the right to abortion.

According to the government’s statement about the bill, the right to have an abortion is at risk in the US. This is due to the Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to overturn a long-standing ruling that had previously protected this right for 50 years.

“Regrettably, this occurrence is not unique: in numerous nations, including those in Europe, there are ideologies that strive to obstruct the freedom of women to access abortion services at their own will,” states the opening statement of the French law.

Last year, Poland faced public backlash after implementing a contentious change to its already strict abortion legislation. In 2020, the country’s constitutional court declared that women could no longer have abortions in situations where the fetus had significant abnormalities, such as Down Syndrome.